100 days to learn
by Kandaluvr
Summary: The countries have lived for a long time; centuries, even a few millennium. But even so, they find that they still don't know everything. And everyday, they learn something new. Whether it be from each other, or even from their people. Even if it's just the small things. It's all important.
1. Sunrise

"Kuma look! We're almost to Germany now." Canada said sweetly, showing his bear out the window. The bear nodded once.

"Who are you?" the bear yawned. Canada rolled his eyes and watched back out the window.

The sun was just coming up over Berlin, where he could see the land shining orange in the light. Germany- as in the person- was probably still asleep this early, and Canada suspected that most of the other European nations were as well. Ha! Even his brother right next to him was still asleep. Speaking of which…

"Hey Al… Al, wake up." Canada said, shaking his twin's shoulder and causing him to sit up as if they were under attack.

"Whu- What?!" America asked, looking at his brother. "Oh- are we almost there?" He asked, slipping on his glasses.

"Yeah. Another ten minutes the pilot said." Canada said.

"Okay." America yawned. "Wow! What a sunset!"

"That's a sunrise, America." Canada said with a chuckled. "They're in a different time zone from us, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Well it's purdy either way."

"Your Cowboy's showing."

"Aw, ta heck with it. I'm tired." America said with another yawn.

"Eew- here, have a mint. You have morning breath." Canada said, wrinkling his nose.

**Hiya! This is a new one I'll be working on. :D It WILL Be updated every thursday and I hope to hear what you think! There will be exactly 100 chapters! Hope to see you around!**


	2. Love

China had always mused that there were a lot of different types of love. There was friendship. There was family… a platonic love. There was lust- that some people claimed to be love, but in the end it wasn't anything that measured to love. Then there was true love- he supposed he'd call it. That love that one would die for. That love for one's country, that love that one felt for a large group of people that were related or that one person that you fought for.

He supposed, in the end, he had felt it all. But that love was always so short lived. Or at least in his expanse of life it was. He had fallen in love, he had felt lust, he had raised a family. But it all came to an end at some point and he always ended up alone.

He had lived as long as the great empires, and longer. He had witnessed their increase in strength with that love for their countries. That sort of love they fell in and out of. He had fought and traded and communed with them as friends and enemies. He had seen that love create new life, and new countries. He had seen smaller countries grow and prosper under that love. Or wither away with that lack thereof. He had seen them die in their lust for power. And as always, they had left him alone.

But, he supposed, that was how it always would be. **  
**


	3. Dreams

"America, I have a question."

The young country turned around from where he was sitting at the table of McDonalds, wondering who was asking him a question in his off time.

"Oh, hey Greece. What's up?"

"I was reading this book of yours… well you know… It's from your country." Greece said in his usual sleepy tone, sitting at the table across from the Superpower nation. "And it made me wonder about something."

"Hmm? What would that be dude?" America asked, leaning back in the plastic chair. "And what book was it?"

"The Great Gatsby." Greece said quietly. "I found the idea of this "American Dream" interesting, but I don't quite grasp what it is- or was I guess."

"Hmm… I guess it's a dream of new beginnings… you know? I don't really like calling it the _American dream, _I mean, sure it's cool to have it named after the ideals that formed… well… me. But it's more like humanities dream. As cliché as it is… it's sort of like a wish for the perfect life. Money, power, family, and usually just being happy. Being able to provide I suppose."

"Money…and family." Greece thought aloud, leaning back in his own chair. "That sounds… nice."

"It's been twisted and warped in that book though. I mean- yeah, it's one of the classics, but they twist it to make it look like money is what leads to family, and if you don't get that, life isn't worth living."

"I see. What is it then?" Greece asked, looking at America.

"What is what?"

"The real American dream? Yours.

America looked at the older nation, who looked genuinely interested. Thinking for a minute, he smiled.

"I think it's what we started with- my people I mean. The equality of men. The freedom that people deserve and everyone is provided for. You know? And not just in my country… In everyone's. everywhere. I just wish I could make it happen. That's my dream."

Greece nodded in understanding, looking up at the ceiling. "That's a good dream." He said.

"Yeah- ha! Nothing like a conversation in a fast food joint with Greece to get some philosophical thoughts." He said, giving a winning smile. Greece just smiled back. **  
**


	4. Haunted

"NEIN!"

Roderich sat up instantly as he heard it. That scream. Groggily, he looked about for his glasses and snatched them up from his dresser. Glancing at his clock, he saw that it was three something in the morning. His vision was so blurred that he wasn't sure what the minute mark was, but it didn't really matter.

Eyes still half-closed, he swung his legs out of bed and went to his door. He didn't bother to pull a shirt on, for the time of bother was ridiculous anyway. He used his hand to feel his way down the dark hallways of the German household, and he wasn't even sure where he was going. Of course, Ludwig was out for the week, and it was far too early for him to even have dropped by to pick something up. So the only person left would be that brash idiot, Gilbert.

Despite his lack of care for the man, Roderich decided to go and tell him off for waking him at such an hour. It was simply astounding how the albino could irritate him so, especially given that it was such an early hour, and he usually didn't even have the ability to think at such a time.

Finally, he reached the source of his half-wakefulness and pounded on the door, where Gilbert's voice was still heard from the other side. But shockingly, instead of obnoxious yelling and drunken rants, Gilbert sounded like… he was _crying_.

"Gilbert?" He asked, knocking on the door. "Prussia, what's going on?" But the whimpering didn't cease. Hesitantly, Roderich grasped the handle to the door and pushed it open. "Prussia?"

He met the sight of the albino still asleep, in fact, so asleep that he didn't notice that his covers were all kicked onto the floor and that the freezing air was touching the bare skin of his scarred torso. But he was shivering and whimpering like a wounded pup, afraid and unable to move for fear.

"Gilbert… Gilbert wake up." Roderich said firmly as he approached the pathetic form. "You're going to wake the neighbors." He said, shaking his fellow German's shoulder. He saw Prussia's red eyes flutter open, small tears building in the corners of them.

"Bruder?" He said groggily, subconsciously reaching about for the covers that weren't there any longer.

"No it's me." Austria sighed, reaching down towards his feet for the blankets and offering them to the albino.

"Oh." Gilbert blinked a few times before he pouted. "What do you want?" Austria felt his eye twitch in irritation.

"You woke me up with your crying." He said bluntly, starting towards the door and almost smirking at the look of horror on Prussia's face. But he paused when he saw him look at his wrists, which he had long known had scars on them from various tortures of the past.

"Was it the war?" he asked quietly.

"Depends on which one you're talking about." Prussia said curtly, turning away from him. Austria frowned.

"You know which one I'm talking about."

"Ja."

"I see." Austria frowned, remembering the many horrors of the world war that had but recently ended. He wrapped his fingers around his own wrists where they had been bound as well, the scars wrapped thinly around his wrists the same way those ropes had once…

"Russia?"

"Don't say his un-awesome name around me." Prussia snapped. Roderich raised an eyebrow.

"So it was." He said. "Will… you be alright?" Prussia looked at him with a mixture of annoyance and lingering fear from his dream. Finally he sighed and looked at the floor, interlocking his fingers together.

"Ja… I-if I can survive the real thing, I can make it through a dream." He said. Austria almost smiled at this.

"Ever the tough one." Roderich nodded. "I know how much it hurts to be haunted."

"I guess that's a good word for it."

**This one was kind of spur of the moment fluff. enjoy. :')**


	5. Memory

"Do you remember?" Italy asked, looking at Germany from across the table. "What it was like to be a kid I mean."

Germany frowned, looking out the café's window and watching people scurry by in hurry of the day ahead. He had only come to breakfast with Italy because he was in town for the world meeting in Venice. Everyone- in fact- was here, eating and making small talk with each other. Italy, Romano, America, France, Germany and Prussia were all sitting at the table nearest the window. While they waited for their meal, they talked about this and that, which had somehow lead up to talking about their childhoods.

They had actually learned a lot about each other, and it was rather nice. Alfred didn't remember too much about England, just the important things, but the starter time he had when he migrated to his lands was brutal. Japan spent a lot of his childhood alone. Italy was thrown from home-to-home a lot, and Romano was in the same boat. Many things were learned.

"Ahh, Nein. I mean- no. Not really." Germany said, looking back to his companions at the table. "I mean- I have little flashbacks, but I don't really remember much before I lived with Prussia."

"Really? Dude, that's weird. D'ya think you have short term memory or somthin?" America asked, sipping at the Italian soda that he had ordered right away. "I mean- did somthin' happen for you to forget? Like a head trauma or the like." Germany cringed at the slight southern American drawl that always showed heavily in America's speech in the early morning. It always took him a moment or two extra to figure out what he was saying.

"Not that I remember." Germany shook his head. "I don't know anything."

"Maybe my awesomeness wiped away all your unawesome memories." Prussia laughed, slapping his brother on the shoulder.

"Ja- that must be it." Germany said sarcastically.

He never noticed the strange look in his brother's eyes.


	6. Fragile

"Bul… run. Or… they'll get you too." Romania's usual bubbly and unfathomably happy personality was hidden by dim eyes and weak hands. He looked up at his friend.

"No! No Vlad, you're not going to give up now!" Bulgaria shouted, pressing his hands firmly against the wound in his friend's chest. Tears had built in the corner of his eyes, but he fought them back instantly. "You- you're not that weak." He knew that his friend wouldn't actually die- or at least he wouldn't stay dead- but it still hurt, to watch as his fellow countries _own people _staked him right through the heart.

"Hhaaa-!" Romania breathed a half laugh. "It's okay- I've… been through… worse."

"How could it get worse? Your own people are-!"

"You're with me this time… aren't you?"

Bulgaria felt the tears spill this time. He couldn't fathom what his friend had gone through, just because he looked a bit different. As a country, Bulgaria knew what a country personification went through for their people every day. He couldn't imagine what it would be like for his own people to try to kill him.

"Yes- I'm here. And I'll be here when you wake up."

But his friend's body was already cold.**  
**


	7. Celebration

"Denmark… why are you covering my eyes like this?" Germany sighed, trying not to trip over his own feet as he was lead forwards by the former Viking. "This is truly unnecessary. The blindfold I mean."

"No it's not. It's totally necessary. Now just follow my lead and you'll do fine."

"Why-"

"Just sush!" Denmark scolded. "We're almost there!"

Germany, disgruntled by his neighbor's antics, decided to just go along with it wondering what on earth he could be up to this time. It wasn't the first time that Denmark had come up with something strange or different to do. But blindfolding him was a definite new one.

"Aaand… here we go! Take of the blindfold!" Denmark said enthusiastically. Germany did as told and pulled the cloth off of his eyes. Just as he did, he stumbled back as a loud "SURPRISE!" suddenly exploded around the room.

Almost every country he knew personally was standing around the room, party hats and kazoos adorned them while a giant banner that read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY GERMANY" was hung above their heads.

"Was… ist das?" Germany asked, knowing fully well the answer. A surprise party, but the real question was, why?

"It's a surprise party Germany! Silly, it's your birthday!" North Italy said with a wide grin, indicating around him.

"But-!"

"Oh just let us celebrate something! That's the important part!" Denmark said, slapping a hat onto Germany's well-styled hair and snapping the string under his chin. "It's what neighbors are for- right?!" **  
**


	8. Secrets

"Hey mister Prussia?" A small voice asked, looking up to the said Prussian soldier, blue uniform practically glowing in the sun. The albino looked down at the young blonde, who stood on the platform of the ship headed for the new lands.

"Ja? What is it… Canada?" The man asked, looking down at the little land mass next to him. He looked to be a teenager, around nineteen or so. Not yet a country, but on his way to be.

"My brother… what did you think of him?"

"Hmm? Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering."

Prussia thought for a moment, and looked up at the sky, which threatened to burn his skin deeply for its fairness.

"Well- he's a real ambitious kid… and strong. A little… clueless sometimes. But he's learning real fast." He said, thinking on how he had trained the kid. He had indeed learned fast, but really, he had to. But remembering one of his generals yelling at him for using the bayonet's as a cooking utensil-

"Do you think I'll ever be like that? Strong, and smart?... do I have any potential?" Canada asked, looking up to the older country, purplish eyes blinking with question. Prussia thought about it again.

"Hmm… sure. I mean, if you work at it. Maybe even better." He said, grinning at the kid with his bright red eyes. "But I already think you're a little more grown up." He explained.

"Really?"

"You wanna hear a secret?" Prussia asked, looking at the boy with a mischievous smile.

"What?"

"Your brother may be powerful, but I had to yell at him for cooking with his bayonet."

Canada's eyes widened in disbelief, a smile hinting in his expression. "Really?

"Ja- but we'll keep that our little secret to use against him later." **  
**


	9. Promise

"Never do anything like that again!" Prussia cringed as his leader yelled at him. He loved the man with all of his heart- he was practically a father after all- but the lectures could scare him quite a bit.

"I said I was sorry- I had to!"

"Fighting Russia without any backup is ridiculous! I understand your need to fight for your people, to an extent, but I do not wish to find you dead in an ally, or, or beat half to death on the battlefield!" Frederick the Great sat down in his seat behind his desk, and placed his face in his hands, breathing a sigh of exasperation.

"You're a powerful man, and I know you can hold your own. I do not doubt any of your abilities. But I do worry when I haven't a clue where you are or where could be." He said, much more gently to the man across the room from him. He couldn't help but notice that the albino looked like a kicked puppy, awaiting further punishment.

"I am sorry, but he would have killed the General. I couldn't let that happen." The Prussian looked up to his leader, bright eyes shining with respect, but also valor of a man that believed in what he said.

"You have to promise me that you won't do that again."

"I cannot make a promise I cannot keep."

Frederick nodded, resting his head on his knuckles. "So… did you beat him?" He asked, smiling like a father figure who was proud of his son for accomplishing something quite out of the ordinary.

"Like a batter sir." Prussia smiled. 


End file.
